The present technology relates to an imaging element and an imaging apparatus. Specifically, the present technology relates to an imaging element and an imaging apparatus in which photoelectric conversion units are laminated.
In the related art, an imaging element for imaging an image is used in an imaging apparatus such as a digital camera or a camcorder. The imaging element includes a photoelectric conversion element which converts light into an electrical signal, various transistors, or the like. As the photoelectric conversion element which is used in the imaging element, a photodiode is well known. In an imaging apparatus which uses the photodiode, a single plate method in which one imaging element is arranged in the apparatus, and a three plate method in which three imaging elements are arranged are frequently used.
In the single plate method, color filters which transmit only any light of red (R), green (G), and blue (B) are arranged using a Bayer array on each pixel of the imaging element. On the other hand, in the three plate method, a prism which performs spectral dispersion of R, G, and B light is arranged along with three imaging elements, the R light is guided to the first imaging element, the G light is guided to the second imaging element, and the B light is guided to the third imaging element.
By adopting the above described configuration, RAW image data with any information of R, B, and G is obtained in each pixel in the single plate method. In the single plate method, when generating a full color image with all of information of R, G, and B in each pixel, it is necessary to perform demosaic processing in which the RAW image data is converted into full color image data. In contrast to this, in the three plate method, full color image data is obtained without performing the demosaic processing. It is possible to obtain an image with a good image quality when adopting the three plate method since it is not necessary to perform the demosaic processing in which deterioration in image quality might occur, however, it is difficult to miniaturize the imaging apparatus since it is necessary to arrange three imaging elements.
In this manner, in the imaging element using the photodiode, it is difficult to make miniaturization of the imaging apparatus and a high quality of an image compatible, however, in recent years, study for using an organic photoelectric conversion film containing an organic material instead of the photodiode has been actively performed in order to make these compatible.
When using the organic material, it is possible to realize a photoelectric conversion film which converts only any light of R, G, and B into an electrical signal, and transmits light other than that. For example, an imaging element in which an organic photoelectric conversion film which converts only R light, an organic photoelectric conversion film which converts only G light, and an organic photoelectric conversion film which converts only B light are laminated in each pixel has been proposed (for example, refer to Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2007-104113). With this configuration, it is possible to generate full color image data without performing demosaic processing using one imaging element. For this reason, it is possible to make miniaturization of the imaging apparatus and a high quality of an image compatible.